Rialto Police Officer Dwuan Rice, issues a citation near to a driver who made an illegal u-turn near Carter High School, during Monday morning’s Traffic Safety Sweeps in Rialto, Ca., August 14, 2017. The operation covered 22 schools in the Rialto area, yielded 87 citations, 63 warnings and 3 arrests, according to Rialto Police Department. (Photo by John Valenzuela/The Sun/SCNG)

Rialto police Officer Dwuan Rice couldn’t believe it.

He and two other officers had already pulled over three motorists near Kolb Middle School earlier this week – and still, a dark-colored compact car rolled through a posted stop sign in order for the driver to drop a child off.

“We’re right here and they still blew through that stop,” said an incredulous and frustrated Rice.

Then a parent parked behind one of the officers, let his daughter off in the middle of the block and the girl jaywalked to campus.

Rice is among many Inland law enforcement officers who will once be tasked with making sure both parents and children are arriving to school in an orderly and safe fashion.

So what can both drivers and pedestrians do to make sure that they’re helping to make for a safer, happier school year? Law enforcement officials across the Inland region weighed in, offering tips such as dropping kids off in the right spots to using the crosswalk correctly.

What parents can do

Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said his department sees traffic issues aplenty when school starts, including speeding, illegal parking, and dropping off children in potentially dangerous locations such as the middle of a busy road.

Not only do such issues put children at greater risk for injury, Railsback said, they can also cause traffic gridlock in and around schools.

Railsback’s recommendation? Parents should lay out a plan on how they are getting to school, from the route they’re going to take, to when they’re going to change lanes and where they’re going to park.

She said a lot of the unsafe driving practices they see in and around schools are often caused by parents who are in a rush.

O’Donnell said it’s really important, especially at the start of the school year, for parents to be patient with one another. Some parents, she says, may be new to the district and are trying to figure out exactly where they need to take their kids.

“They’re not familiar with the drop off locations and they’re learning the whole process, too,” she said.

The familiarity of the route is also an issue that Beaumont police see, said Marcedes Cashmer. Beaumont police services analyst, via email.

What kids can do

Police said it’s very important that kids, especially older kids, make sure they’re doing the right thing.

Railsback said that if children are being dropped off in unsafe locations, they need to tell their parents that.

“We want the kids to tell their parents, ‘No, I’m not going to jump out in the middle of the street to get to the school. Pull over to where it’s safe or where it’s designated for you to pull over,’ ” Railsback said.

Kids should be paying attention to their surroundings, should be using crosswalks and should be paying attention to where drivers are located, police officials say.

Railsback said Bergamont Street near Martin Luther King High is problematic. Students there have been known to cross the road – even when a driver has the right of way, creating gridlock. He said if a car is in the roadway making a turn and the students have not yet entered the roadway, they should wait for the car to pass.

O’Donnell said she’s seen a lot of older children looking down at their phones and not paying attention to their surroundings, which could increase their chances of getting into a potentially dangerous situation.

What police departments are doing

Rialto police officers wrote 87 citations Monday, Aug. 14, and gave out 63 warnings or educational stops. They also made three arrests, including one for felony possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of sales near school grounds, officials said.

On more than one stop, Rialto police Officer Rice would remind a rushing parent or student of the rules of the road: slowing down in a school zone, coming to a complete stop at stop signs, and crossing at intersections and marked crosswalks.

“It’s not only about writing tickets,” Rice said. “It’s about education.”

Railsback said the Riverside Police Department traffic officers will be out at the start of the school year, but especially will target schools that are known for having chronic issues.

Beatriz E. Valenzuela is an award-winning journalist who’s covered breaking news in Southern California since 2006 and has been on the front lines of several national and international news events. She’s worked for media outlets serving Southern California readers covering education, local government, entertainment and all things nerd including comic book culture and video games. She’s an amateur obstacle course racer, constant fact-checker, mother of three and lover of all things adorable.

Alex Groves writes about casinos for the entertainment team at Southern California News Group. He started his first full-time gig as a breaking news reporter for The Press-Enterprise in 2015 but has also written stories on arts programs at local high schools, dining and events. In his free time, Alex enjoys hiking and traveling. A craft beer enthusiast, Alex likes to bring back an IPA as a souvenir from every new place he travels.